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Otago Witness, Issue 4039, 11 August 1931, Page 34

Mr Hayley Morriss recently offered a reward of £5O for the recovery of two valuable eggs which had been stolen from a nest on the lake in his grounds at Pippingford Park, Sussex. The eggs were those of the Sarus crane, an Indian bird which had never bred before in England. Mr Morriss stated that he suspected an over-enthusiastic collector of having raided the nest. “ I have had the crane for nine years, and about a month ago 1 was delighted when I found that two eggs had been laid,” he said. “ Three weeks ago these eggs wore stolen. Two more were laid, the two which were taken last night. So far as I know there is not. a collector in England possessing such an egg.” The Sarus crane is 6 feet in height, and its eggs, slightly larger than those of a goose, are pale green with dark blotches.

The Dunedin and Christchurch Retm lieu Soldiers’ Associations’ membership cam paign is being carried on energetically by both bodies, and the totals at the end of July were identical, each association hav ing 1178 financial members. The secretary of the Dunedin Association (Mr O. L. Ferens) stated on Tuesday that it was expected that about 40 nominations would come before the next meeting of the executive for approval.

Tuesday last marked the seventeenth anniversary of Great Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Following the German Government’s refusal to give an assurance that the neutrality of Belgium would be respected, as requested by the British ultimatum, the following statement was issued from the Foreign Office at 0.15 a.m. on August 5: —“Owing to the summary rejection by the German Government of the request made by his Majesty's Government for assurances that the neutrality of Belgium will be respected his Majesty’s Ambasador at Berlin has received his passports, and his Majesty’s Government has declared to the German Government that a state of war exists between Great Britain and Germany as from 11 p.m. on August 4.” Within 24 hours Lord Kitchener had been appointed Minister of War, the fleet and the army were mobilised and recruiting had commenced. Four days later the British Expeditionary Force under Sir John French landed on French soil.